Container filling system



Aug. 28,1945;

W. M K. MARTIN CONTAINER F ILLING SYSTEM ATTOE'N'EYSY Filed Dec. 2-, 1941 Patented Aug. 28, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER FILLING SY STEM William McK. Martin, Maywood, Ill., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a cor- I poration of New Jersey Application December 2, 1941, Serial No. 421,353 1 Claim. 7 (01. 226-129) The present invention relates to a machinefor filling into containers liquid products which have a tendency to form foam on the surface of the liquid when agitated in the presence of air and has particular reference to devices for maintaining the supply lines connecting with the filling machine, free of air so that foaming of the liquid in the lines will be prevented' In handlingcertain kinds of liquid products in filling machines, it" has been found that excessive foaming of the liquid sometimes takes place due to entrainment of air as liquid flows from a higher to a lower level and this foaming often results in undue clogging of the machin and inaccurate filling of the containers. Homo genized milk is an example of such a foaming liquid. It has been found that excessive foam encountered in handling homogenized milk in the dairies is due to the eifeot of homogenization on the stability of the foam rather than to the mechanical whipping efiect ofthe homogenization 'processin producing the foam. The increased stability'of the foam results in its accumulation in the supply lines wherever aeration occurs. l v

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difiiculty by providing devices which prevent this aeration of the milk in the supplylines.

An object, therefore; of the invention is the provision of devices fo1'-preventing" ,foaming of liquids, in supply lines {wherein the supply lines are maintained free of airby regulation of the liquid levels within the lines, means being provided to insure againstthe" entrance of air at both the machine and supply ends of the line.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying dgawing, discloses a preferred embodiment there- Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a schematic View illustrating an apparatus embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away and parts shown in section, the view also showing a wiring diagram of the electric devices used in the apparatus;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional details of a float valve used in the apparatus, the views showing the movable parts of the valve in different positions, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line 44 in Fig. 3.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawing illustrates a filling machine tanks,- for filling milk into containers.

Y the pipe is connected to thebottom of the storage tank while the other end is connected to a reservoir I4 which constitutes a part of the filling machine.

The storage tank I2 receives its supply of milk by way of a vertical supply pipe 16, the lower end of which is connected into the tank. The upper end of the pipe is secured in an outlet valve seat I! formed in the bottom of a vertical float valve casing l8 which constitutes an auxiliary supply tank. 1

Within the casing there is a fioat 2| (Figs. 2 and 3) having a depending lug 22 at the bottom which is connected by a link 23 to an arm 24 which extends out from a flat butterfly valve 25. The valve is formed with a pair of trunnions 2B which extend outwardlyfrom opposite sides of the valve. These trunnions are disposed inhalfbearings 21 '(see also Fig. 4) formed in the top of the valve seat H. The valve is located in the seat adjacent the upper end of the pipe I6 and functions to close off the entrance to the pipe, as will be explained hereinafter.

The top of the valve casing I8 is closed 01f with a slip cover 3| having bayonet locking notches 32 for engagement with pins 33 in the casing to retain the cover in place. This cover is formed with a stop ring unit 34 which extends down into the valve casing and serves as a stop for limiting the upward travel of the float 2! so that the valve trunnions 26 will not become unseated from their bearings 21. The top of the float carries a ring 36 which is utilized for lifting the float and its connecting valve out of the casing for cleaning, when the cover 3! is removed.

The "float valve casing I8 is formed further with an angularly disposed inlet tube 4| which extends upwardly from the bottom of the casing adjacent the valve outlet seat l1. At its upper end the inlet tube connects with a horizontal sup ply pipe 42 which leads from an outlet connection 43 formed in the bottom of a cooling or supply tank 44 in which the milk is retained while being cooled.

The cooling tank is disposed on a level above the storage tank l2 and receives its supply of milk from any suitable source. For best results the relative elevation of the float valve casing I8 should be such that its float 2| is slightly higher than the outlet connection 43 in the bottom of the cooling tank 44 when the valve is in its closed position.

Hence milk flowing from the cool-ing tan'k 44 by way of the horizontal supply pipe 42 fills the float valve casing 18 to a predetermined level and flows from this casing by way of the pipe l6 into the storage tank l2 from which it is used asmeeded by the filling machine. After once being filled, the supply line and the float valve casing I58 remain filled with milk. In this condition the float 2| rises within the casing (as shown in Fig. 2) and thus through its link 28 and ram .24 holds the valve 25 in open position as shown.

If for any reason the level of the milk in the cooling tank 44 drops to a position near "the bottom of the tank, the level of the milk in the float valve casing 18 also drops and thus allows the float 2! to descend and thereby to rock the'valve 25 in its seat IT. Before the level of the milk in the cooling tank -can-drop far enough to expose the outlet connection 43 and admit air :irom the tank into the supply line, the float falls :su-fficiently to close the valve 25.

Closing of the valve .25 therefore :stops the flow of milk from the'cooling tank and thus the entrance to the outlet connection in the tank is prevented from being exposed. in this manner the float valve maintains the level of the milk in the supply line sufliciently above the outlet from the cooler to prevent air-entrainment in the supply lines and this prevents the forming of foam or the carryingof team from the cooling tank into the lines, as hereinbefore mentioned.

As a safeguard against entrainment "of air in the supply lines by way of the filling machine and-of the lines asafetyfioat (.Fig. 1. is provided in the storage tank 12. This safety float rideson the surface of the .milkin the tank. The float is formed with a long guide rod v5 2 which extends up through astufiing box 53 i011 the top of the tank. The rod is formed with (a collar 54 which is so located that when .the rlevel pf the milk .in the tank drops to s. dangerously low :level, the falling .fioat brings .the collar into zactuating engagement with a normally closed electric stop switch 55.

The stop switch 55 .is connected by :a lead wire 56 to an electric motor 58 which constitutes the source of power for the filling machine II. The

'It .is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent -that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts with- -out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

.1 claim:

:A system for filling into conta-i-ners liquid products having va tendency rtoioamcmnpnising afill ing machine 'from which the liquid is 'drawn for filling into the containers, said machine having means for operatingwthe same, a supply pipe line connecting with said .filling machine tosmpply the liquid thereto, an auxiliary supply tan-k having an inlet and outlet through'which the-liquid flows into said pipe line, a. main-supply tank having an outlet connection from the liquid flows into said auxiliary supply tank, float controlled valve means disposed in said auxiliary supply tank for regulating the flow of :liquid from said main supply tank and through "said auxiliary tank outlet .to-sai'd pipe line, a sterage tank interposed in said pipe line between said filling machine andsaid auxiliarysupply tank, fioat means for controlling the liquid level in said storage tank, .the inlet and outlet of said auxiliary supply tank being =each disposed at a level beneath the outlet connection -of saidmain rsupply tank, and .means actuated by said float :for stopping the operation of said machine operating means when the liquid in said storage tank rails be low arpredetermined .leveLwhereby the described flow of liquid is maintained only as long as there is sufficient liquid insaid mainlsupply tank to prevent entrainment .of air into said pipe line'so that the liquid delivered to the filling machine will be prevented from roaming.

WILLIAM :MCK. 'MARTIN. 

